Steveston home owners, faced with having their extended backyards reclaimed by the City of Richmond for a laneway, say they’re disappointed with the options planners presented to them in a recent public consultation meeting.
Failing the proper consultation they thought they’d be getting, they’ve presented council, and the Richmond News, with their own solutions.
Resident Chris Back said many Richmond and Broadway street residents were “extremely disappointed by the continued lack of respect” shown by city council and city staff, who presented four options to residents at a Jan. 10 meeting at Steveston Community Centre: paved lane; green swale lane; country lane; or bikeway.
“We very quickly realized in the session that these four options are the only four being considered by City and that there is no interest from City staff to discuss anything other than what was posted on the boards in front of us,” said Back in a letter to council dated Jan. 12 and forwarded to the News.
Following planned sewer repairs, the city intends to re-establish laneways along several routes in the neighbourhoods immediately north of Steveston Village. Presently, most homes have backyards that overshoot their property line and encroach on city property (laneway-sized strips between properties designated as "roadway").
Back said residents are cognizant of the need to maintain the sewers, however they do not want vehicular traffic in new lanes and want to maintain “functional green space.”
“Virtually none of our questions were answered at the consultation session, there was no opportunity to discuss other, more creative solutions, and City staff continued to dismiss our concerns regarding the impact that these options will have on the future liveability and environmental sustainability of our community,” wrote Back.
He said when residents met with council, most of its members demonstrated a lack of interest in the matter.
He said Mayor Malcolm Brodie’s “behaviour was embarrassing for any Richmond resident” with his “dismissive antics.”
But Brodie told the Richmond News that residents are free to express their own options at meetings.
Back said residents are still miffed as to why the city needs to build laneways. The city has still not offered a reasonable explanation, he said.
Brodie said he cannot due to legal reasons.
“We need to know why all of these decisions are being made in secret, closed door meetings. We need to know why you seem to be hellbent on installing a laneway that serves absolutely no purpose for our community,” said Back.
He and others have also presented council with their own options.
One option sees no laneways being built but residents establishing an easy-to-access backyard corridor along the city property, with no permanent structures or large trees planted in the way.
As well, residents want the option to lease or purchase the land from the city. Back said there is precedent for this in other municipalities.
Back has also suggested a fenced off greenway that adjacent residents can use as a picnic area or for semi-private community gardens. This option is said to mitigate the concerns of noise, garbage and petty nuisances from opening up the space to the public.
